Indian-Americans to host inaugural ball for Obama

Having pitched strongly for President Barack Obama’s re-election, the burgeoning Indian-American community will for the first time host its own inaugural ball as he is formally sworn-in next month to begin his second term.

To be organised by “Indiaspora”, a newly-launched initiative of members of the Indian Diaspora, the event is being showcased as a celebration of the “combined achievements of the two nations (India and the US) and cultures”.

“Join the world’s oldest and largest democracies in congratulating President Obama as he is sworn in to his second term as President of the United States,” says an announcement from the organisers on behalf of the 3-million strong Indian American community, compatriots from India and American well-wishers. It expects key Senators, Representatives and policymakers to attend the event.

The announcement came even as a newly-released survey confirmed that Asian-Americans as a whole voted overwhelmingly for Obama (71 per cent) as opposed to his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney (28 per cent).

“Indiaspora will be a catalyst to transform the success of Indian Americans into meaningful impact in India and on the global stage,” says MR Rangaswami, who founded the organisation earlier this year under the auspices of the non-profit SHG Foundation. In September, “Indiaspora” brought together 100 influential leaders of the community for a three-day event to kick off its Forum in Lake Mohonk, New York.

“There’s no doubt that our community now holds some influence in the US. As we play an increasingly larger role on the national political stage, it is obvious that Indian-Americans are enjoying,” says Rangaswami, pointing out that the community, accounting for barely 1 per cent of the US population, has experienced great success in fields as diverse as academia, arts, business, entertainment, healthcare, media, philanthropy, politics, science and technology.